I didn’t need to read the article featured on the cover of Time magazine to predict the tone of the piece, and it was obvious that the intent of the photo accompanying the article was to ruffle feathers not encourage educated, non-judgemental discussion. Fact is, how you feed your baby and for how long is a personal decision. As mothers, we should have the freedom to parent our children without fear of judgement. Any woman who takes hold of the responsibility to ensure the health and well-being of her children is

Here in the United States, the American Academy of Pediatrics “reaffirms its recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant.”

…However, though our goal is more moms breastfeeding and more babies receiving breastmilk, we support moms where they are and work to help them reach their goals. The mom is the mom…we are not; the baby is hers…not ours; the baby has to eat…it’s mom’s decision not ours. We educate, we practice using the evidence, we encourage breastfeeding, we support with compassion, we foster empowerment.

The mom who breastfeeds is mom enough.

The mom who formula feeds is mom enough.

The mom who home schools is mom enough.

The mom who has her kids in public school is mom enough.

The mom with one child is mom enough.

The mom with five kids is mom enough.

The mom who wears her babies is mom enough,

and the mom who doesn’t is mom enough.

So, we celebrate moms of all walks of life, everyday, everywhere. And in celebration of the 100 strong moms and 101 beautiful babies BABE has had the privilege of walking along side of, we are giving away a beautiful Moby Wrap (pictured). Here’s how to win:

In our field of practice, IBCLCs continually strive to gain respect from the community and other health care professionals. We seek to accomplish this by allowing the research to guide our practice. This is called evidence-based practice (EBP). As we care for mother/baby dyads, we develop plans by integrating clinical experience (ours and that of other respected IBCLCs), the values of the mother, and the best current external evidence (research) we can find.*

A great deal of time goes into reading a study, analyzing it, and applying it to practice. There are several elements we look for to determine if the research is truly going to benefit mothers and babies. This is called generalization…can we take the results from a study that uses a cross- section of breastfeeding mothers and apply it to all breastfeeding mothers?

Some questions we ask to determine the “health” of a study are:

How many participants were there? Was it enough?

Did the researches design the study correctly?

Were the proper tools used?

Was the outcome of the study related to the bias of the researchers? (for example, were the researchers “obligated” to find a certain result due to funding?) Or was the outcome achieved without any bias?

And will this work in the general population?

It is exciting to see more and more research being done in the field of lactation; however, more is needed as IBCLC’s continue to establish themselves as respected members of the healthcare team. Will you be the next study participant? Maybe….

At the Children’s Nutrition Research Center…

Lactation Study: Production of Milk Sugars & Triglycerides

Are you 18 to 35 years old, healthy, and exclusively breastfeeding? Is your baby LESS THAN 10 WEEKS OLD? If so, you are needed for a study investigating factors that affect breast milk production. The study includes a 24 hour stay at Texas Children’s Hospital with your baby. Financial compensation provided. Click here for more information: http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/studies